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AKARTA: Programs aimed at empowering people in developing countries to adapt to climate change have not drawn much interest from the government because they focus more on mitigation, a report says.

The “Climate Finance” report by the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) is to be officially published on Sunday.

“A number of countries have offered money for adaptation schemes but the government has shown less enthusiasm for it,” Teguh Surya from Walhi said at a discussion at The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. One of the reasons was the system channelling adaptation money went directly to the people while mitigation programs only offered more debt to he government, he added.

He said Indonesia had failed to propose a candidate to run for the committee on adaptation schemes under the international framework of climate change. This also indicated the government’s reluctance to implement adaptation programs.

According to the report, the global debt acquired due to climate change programs has reached US$2.3 billion. The figure included loans issued by France, Japan, the World Bank and the Climate Investment Fund scheme between 2008-2010.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) plans to provide $600 million in new loans between 2011-2013.

“The climate change issue has been a ‘new window’ to market debt schemes to Indonesia,” Walhi head Berry Furqon said.

Walhi proposed that the government impose carbon taxes on companies operating in Indonesia that produced carbon emissions.

“The companies, such as palm oil plantations and coal, oil and gas firms could be the targets of carbon taxes and the money could be used to help individuals cope with climate change,” the research paper said. — JP